Opening a chestnut burr. [A Hero But Not Heroic; Opening A Chestnut Burr; Morbid Brooding; How Miss Walton Managed People; Was it An Accident?; Unexpected Chestnut Burrs; A Conspiracy; Witchcraft; Miss Walton Advises A Hobby; A Plot Against Miss Walton; A Drinking Song At A Prayer-Meeting; Foiled In One Direction; Interpreting Chestnut Burrs; A Well-meanin' Man; Miss Walton's Dream; An Accident In The Mountains; Promise Or Die; In The Depths; Miss Walton Made Of Different Clay From Others; Miss Walton Made Of Ordinary Clay; Passion And-penitence; Not A Heroine But* A Woman'; Gregory's Final Conclusion; The worm-infested chestnut-Gregory tells the worst; The Old Home In Danger-Gregory Retrieves Himself; Changes In Gregory; Pleading For Life]

New York, Dodd, Mead and Company, Publishers, 1885, ©1874, 1885. Book. Good. Hardcover. vii, 383 p. front. 16 cm. ; LCCN: 42-43533 ; LC: PZ3.R62; PS2727 ; OCLC: 427109 ; decorated embossed cloth ; no dustjacket ; name on front endpaper ; Contents : A Hero But Not Heroic -- Opening A Chestnut Burr -- Morbid Brooding -- How Miss Walton Managed People -- Was it An Accident? -- Unexpected Chestnut Burrs -- A Conspiracy -- Witchcraft -- Miss Walton Advises A Hobby -- A Plot Against Miss Walton -- A Drinking Song At A Prayer-Meeting -- Foiled In One Direction -- Interpreting Chestnut Burrs -- A Well-meanin' Man -- Miss Walton's Dream -- An Accident In The Mountains -- Promise Or Die -- In The Depths -- Miss Walton Made Of Different Clay From Others -- Miss Walton Made Of Ordinary Clay -- Passion And-penitence -- Not A Heroine But* A Woman' -- Gregory's Final Conclusion -- The worm-infested chestnut-Gregory tells the worst -- The Old Home In Danger-Gregory Retrieves Himself -- Changes In Gregory -- Pleading For Life And Love -- What A Lover Could do -- Defending Shadows -- Kept From The Evil -- Live! Live! Annie's Appeal -- At Sea-A Mysterious Passenger -- A Collusion At Sea-What A Christian Could Do -- Unmasked -- A Chestnut Burr And A Home ; "Since my companion here feels she owes you something, Miss Walton, she can now repay you a hundred-fold. But follow her directions closely, as you value your lives;" and he left the house" ; "Opening a Chestnut Burr Is a story of the development of a noble character from one quite the reverse" ; the author's second novel ; E. P. Roe "was educated at Williams College and Auburn Theological Seminary. When he was ready to enter the ministry the war broke out and his intense patriotism sent him to the front as chaplain of the Harris Light Cavalry (Second New York Volunteers). He participated in numerous engagements, including Dahlgren's famous raid on Richmond, and had a narrow escape in the fight on the banks of the James River. Subsequently President Lincoln appointed him hospital chaplain at Fortress Monroe. At the close of the war he became pastor of a Presbyterian church at Highland Falls, New York, one mile north of West Point, and remained there until 1874, when he removed to Cornwall. There he established a fruit farm and nursery, and divided his attention between horticulture and literature. It was in 1871 that his first novel [Without a Home] was written. His next novel "Opening a Chestnut Burr," was written to test whether he should devote himself to preaching or writing, and its success determined him to abandon the pulpit for the larger ministry of fiction. Other novels followed rapidly, averaging a new book every year. It is fair to compute that two million people have read one or more of his works."--The Cosmopolitan, 1888 ; top of spine chipped, else G.